I’ll Be the Heroine’s Competent Divorce Partner - Chapter 143

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 143

 

Click.

 

The sound of the door closing echoed.

 

Joshua had gone out to call the medical team.

 

From between Elodie’s lips as she stared blankly at the ceiling, a sigh-like murmur escaped.

 

“What should I do about this?”

 

Marquis Bartsen’s poster that had been slandering her.

 

And now, even a sudden food poisoning incident.

 

Was this what they meant by one mountain after another?

 

She felt as hopeless as a sheep lost in a maze.

 

Elodie finally slowly closed her eyes.

 

…She was terribly exhausted.

 

* * *

 

Several days had passed.

 

She had received visits from several people during this time.

 

Isabel and Joshua showed their faces almost every day despite being busy.

 

Besides them, Count Robert had visited once.

 

Count Disraeli had sent a large fruit basket.

 

He had deliberately sent only a gift to avoid other people’s eyes, worried that strange rumors might spread.

 

None of them talked about how the pilot policy was progressing.

 

They only told her to focus on recovering her health first.

 

But judging by their dark expressions, the situation didn’t seem to be going well.

 

I also deliberately didn’t ask.

 

It was obvious that public opinion would be at its worst, so what was the point of asking?

 

It would only make both of us more troubled.

 

‘…Still.’

 

I, who had been sitting blankly against the bed, clenched my fists tightly.

 

‘I really wanted to do well this time.’

 

Since there were people who believed in me and had expectations, I wanted to somehow find strength.

 

But I just couldn’t muster any energy.

 

Just as I was curling up my body slightly.

 

Knock knock.

 

A light knocking sound echoed.

 

I slowly raised my head.

 

“Please come in.”

 

At the same time, two people appeared through the doorway.

 

It was a familiar face, yet also a completely unexpected person.

 

My eyes widened in surprise.

 

“Judy?!”

 

It was Judy.

 

And the other person with a youthful face was….

 

“This is my Younger Brother. Go ahead and greet her.”

 

That’s right.

 

It was Judy’s Younger Brother!

 

I had heard before that he was sick and just staying bedridden all the time, but now he looked quite well.

 

His young cheeks had a healthy color, and his eyes were clear too.

 

“Hello, Marquis.”

 

The child bowed his head to me shyly.

 

I smiled brightly and greeted him back.

 

“Hello, nice to meet you.”

 

“We heard you happened to be at the same Medical Center, so we came to visit. How are you feeling? Are you alright?”

 

Judy asked with a worried expression.

 

I nodded.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. Thank you so much for coming to visit.”

 

“Not at all. My Younger Brother regaining his health like this is all thanks to you, miss.”

 

Judy smiled brightly at me.

 

I quickly gestured for both of them to come over.

 

“Sit over here. Since you came all this way, I should offer you something….”

 

“Oh no. We’re the ones who came to visit without any notice.”

 

“Come on, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, it would be disappointing if you refused.”

 

As I looked around, my eyes fell on the fruit basket that Count Disraeli had sent.

 

“Ah, would fruits be okay?”

 

“Of course. I’ll peel them for you.”

 

Judy quickly took care of the fruit basket.

 

A little while later.

 

Judy returned with a plate of neatly peeled fruits.

 

We had various conversations with the fruit plate between us.

 

“Thanks to you, my Younger Brother’s condition has really improved. If he continues to build up his strength like this, the Doctor said we could consider outpatient treatment.”

 

“Wow, really? That’s wonderful!”

 

“My Younger Brother has been finding Hospital life a bit difficult… It’s really fortunate.”

 

Judy looked at her Younger Brother with loving eyes.

 

I don’t know how that gaze could be so affectionate.

 

After gazing at her Younger Brother for a while, Judy bowed her head to me.

 

“Thank you so much once again, miss.”

 

“Not at all. I’m glad your Younger Brother has recovered so much.”

 

Just then.

 

The child who had been quietly munching on fruits casually asked a question.

 

“Is this a small hardy kiwi?”

 

“Huh? Hardy kiwi?”

 

My eyes widened.

 

At the same time, Judy shook her head.

 

“No, it’s a kiwi.”

 

“Kiwi?”

 

“Yes. It’s a different fruit from hardy kiwi.”

 

Hmm, hardy kiwi and kiwi.

 

Actually, I’ve never seen a hardy kiwi in person.

 

Just then, Judy noticed my puzzled look and lightly shrugged her shoulders.

 

“There were hardy kiwis in our hometown village. So whenever we were hungry, we used to pick and eat a lot of hardy kiwis.”

 

“How are the two fruits different?”

 

“Well, they actually look really similar. Especially the inside after peeling – it looks exactly like a kiwi.”

 

At that moment.

 

I bit my lower lip gently.

 

What is this feeling exactly?

 

This tickling sensation in one corner of my mind, this feeling like I’m missing something.

 

‘This food poisoning incident… they said the symptoms were exactly the same as when eating sprouted potatoes.’

 

But the cook had denied the possibility of ‘sprouted potatoes’ several times.

 

He said he had checked thoroughly, and if it really was something like that, he would have filtered it out beforehand.

 

He said he naturally inspected the ingredients since children would be eating them.

 

‘What if, just what if.’

 

I unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

 

‘Like hardy kiwi and kiwi, what if the thing that caused the problem was a similar crop?’

 

What if there’s a separate crop so similar it could be mistaken for potatoes?

 

And what if that crop was supplied to the childcare facility instead of potatoes?

 

…Also, what if that crop was poisonous?

 

Of course, it might just be speculation.

 

But right now is the time to grasp even the thinnest thread of a clue.

 

“Um, Judy.”

 

I resolutely lifted my head.

 

“Could I ask you for one favor?”

 

* * *

 

That evening.

 

Joshua visited the National Scope Medical Center again.

 

He had come to visit Elodie in the hospital.

 

Joshua, crossing the long corridor, glanced sideways at his reflection in the window.

 

His face was completely darkened and sunken.

 

‘Oh no.’

 

Joshua forced the corners of his lips upward.

 

‘I need to smile.’

 

He couldn’t show Elodie such a gloomy expression.

 

She hadn’t even been able to get up from her sickbed yet, so he couldn’t cause her worry.

 

However.

 

“…Phew.”

 

A long sigh flowed out between Joshua’s lips.

 

And for good reason, since an emergency noble council meeting had been held today.

 

Public opinion regarding the childcare facility pilot policy was absolutely terrible.

 

‘Of course, we understand that Marquis Lucerno proposed this with good intentions.’

 

‘But if it’s going to be this poorly managed, continuing the policy with national taxes is a bit…’

 

While everyone had turned skeptical.

 

Some nobles, led by Marquis Bartsen, had become quite triumphant.

 

‘Please stop this now. This is all a waste of national taxes!’

 

Marquis Bartsen spoke resolutely, pretending to care for the Empire.

 

‘We shouldn’t have listened to Elodie in the first place. It’s not because she’s my younger sister, but the girl is quite immature.’

 

Duke Laventess raised his voice in criticizing his younger sister.

 

Joshua tried to calm things down somehow, but the atmosphere only got worse and worse.

 

At this rate, it seemed everyone would agree to abolish the pilot policy.

 

‘How do I resolve this situation?’

 

His head was throbbing painfully.

 

However, since he needed to see Elodie first.

 

Joshua, having composed his expression once more, entered the hospital room cheerfully.

 

He deliberately greeted her with a bright voice.

 

“Were you resting well, Elodie?”

 

“Oh, Joshua.”

 

At the same time, Elodie quickly lifted her head.

 

‘Hmm?’

 

Joshua tilted his head.

 

And for good reason, since Elodie was holding a thick hardcover book in her hands.

 

And the identity of that book was…

 

“What’s with the plant encyclopedia?”

 

“Well, I heard about kiwis and hardy kiwis today.”

 

“Huh? Kiwis and hardy kiwis?”

 

It was a rather unexpected answer.

 

Joshua couldn’t hide his bewildered expression.

 

“Yes, they really look similar, don’t they? They’re actually the same species too.”

 

Elodie nodded and continued speaking passionately.

 

“The cause of this food poisoning was said to be poison from potato sprouts, right? But there were actually no sprouts on the potatoes used in cooking.”

 

“….”

 

Joshua suddenly clamped his mouth shut.

 

Something sharp had flashed through his mind.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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